Saturday, November 4, 2017

Thankful Author 2017- Susan Coryell


What I am Thankful For by Susan Coryell

I am thankful for many things, but most thankful for LEARNING.
Formal schooling aside, I am thankful for physical learning:--how to: ride a two-wheeler,  shoot a basket, drive a car, return a ping pong slam, swing a golf club, swim the butterfly, master a downward facing dog, slalom water ski..
I am thankful for learning some of life’s most valuable lessons—how to: write a heart-felt thank you note,  console a heart-broken teen, speak from the heart to a Sunday school class, apologize with whole heart for a hurtful action or word, feel the heart and soul of those less fortunate than I am.
And I am so thankful for learning how to navigate the perilous waters of family life—how to: maintain a long marriage, raise self-sufficient children, support and nurture an aging parent, calm a prickly in-law, shower love onto a much-loved grandchild.
And, finally, I thank my lucky stars every day that writing is second nature to me. Though I have learned the nuances of writing and the principles and practices of scripting my thoughts, I was born to write.

Yes, I spent thirty years of my life as a public school teacher, but I am most grateful for what I myself have learned.


Blurb:

20-year-old Ashby Overton travels to her family’s historic estate in southern Virginia to spend the summer, hoping to unearth her ancestral roots and the cause of a mysterious family rift. Overhome, an imposing mansion, is an idyllic setting for Ashby, the aspiring romance writer. From her first night in her room in the oldest wing Ashby feels an enfolding presence, a force she never sees, only feels. Candles light themselves, notes from an old lullaby fall from the ceiling, the radio tunes itself daily. And roses meant for Ashby appear in unlikely places—a symbol of love? Or something dark, deep and evil? The summer leads Ashby on a suspenseful, sometimes terrifying journey as she navigates centuries of family strife along the puzzling parameters of the spirit world.

Buy link: 





23 comments:

  1. Hello Susan, Life-long learning is definitely something to be thankful for. Each and every day there's something new to discover.

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    1. For sure! I always learned more from my students over my 30-year career than they did from me, I am convinced!

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  2. Beautiful post, Susan! Wishing you all the best! :)

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    1. Thanks! I appreciate your comment and your time!

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    2. HI Susan. I'm thankful for our online friendship and I hope we finally get to meet this winter. And I'm thankful you started writing your wonderful novels!

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  3. Cindy: You are such a sweet colleague! I adore your accidental detective Laurel and all her misadventures. With a little luck, we may be able to meet on Maui this winter. Thanks!!

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  4. Hi Susan,

    A perfect time of the year to consider the things to be thankful for! Like you, I always felt I learned as much as my students when I taught. I love your novels and hope you keep writing for a long time to come!

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    1. So appreciative of your professional support! As writers, we both strive for literary depth and theme. I love your novels, too! Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  5. Lovely post, Susan. Life-long learning is a marvelous thing. It's great to keep the mind active by learning something new.

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  6. Thanks, Diane. If we stop learning, we cease to exist as writers. Best wishes for your continued excellence as a writer.

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  7. What a nice post you wrote. Yes, learning allows us to learn valuable lessons and how to interact with others. Best of luck with your writing.

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    1. I appreciate your comment, Judy Ann and agree about learning and interaction with others. Good luck with your writing, too!

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  8. Wonderful post Susan, so many things we take for granted but should always be thankful for- although you are much more skilled than I. I too know I was born to write.

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    1. Charlotte: We writers know who we are and writers HAVE to write. When I taught English to middle and high schoolers, I could identify the "born" writers. They always knew so themselves. I could teach the mechanics of writing, but the talent must come from within. Thanks for commenting.

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  9. Lovely post. Learning takes many forms. Maybe that's why there's always something new waiting to be learned.

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    1. Marissa: We are never too old to learn! (Thank goodness, as I am "maturing" at a fast rate). My seven grand children teach me so many things!! Thanks for commenting.

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  10. Thankful is a lovely state of mind. Www.dkchristi.com

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  11. Thankful is a lovely state of mind. Www.dkchristi.com

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  12. DK: As I age, I honestly think I am more thankful every day for just that--every day. Thanks for joining me today.

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  13. This is a great space for your blog. Beautifully expressed. Thanks for including me.

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  14. And thanks to you for reading and commenting. We retired teachers actually have a LOT to be thankful for, right?

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  15. Susan, Great post! We spend our whole lives learning. I believe it's only when we stop learning that we get old!

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  16. Laura: I am with you! Now, if I could just learn how to navigate all the new electronic gadgets in my life--like the iHome clock radio. Needed to change to EST, managed to lose the clock , radio and iPhone in one fell swoop--all blanked out. Sigh. Thanks for commenting!

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